UPDATE: Ricky Gervais in Talks to Lead The Muppets Sequel

Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming sequel to their 2011 The Muppets appears to have found its human lead. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Ricky Gervais is in talks to star. He’d join the just-confirmed Ty Burell, who will play an Interpol agent.

Director James Bobin and writer Nicholas Stoller are set to return behind the camera, but Jason Segel will not be back as the star. Gervais’ character (which is still unknown) will likely fill in as a similar style of leading man.

“We kind of felt like we completed Gary’s story in the first one,” Stoller told ComingSoon.net in a recent interview, “and he’s mostly interested in writing stuff for him to be in, which makes sense, right? He didn’t want to go on and write the next one. I was like, ‘Do you care if I do it with James?’ He’s like, ‘Of course not.'”

Currently involved in quite a few television projects, Gervais last appeared on the big screen in 2009’s The Invention of Lying.

(Photo Credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN.com)

UPDATE: Ricky Gervais has confirmed his casting on Twitter:

I have just signed up to play the lead in the next Muppet Movie. I have the biggest trailer but Kermit will spend some time in my sink.